Sliding door



April'Q, l938. l v R, F. LOHRMAN l5, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l NENOR ZApri119,193s. RFLOHRMAN 2,114,743

SLIDING DOOR l Filed June l5, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY R.F. LOHRMAN SLIDING DOOR April 19, 193s.,

Filed June 15, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Pober Ff 0b/*man Fig .5.

AORNY Patented Apr. 1.9, 1938 PATENT OFFIQE SLIDING DOOR Robert F.Lohrman, St. Charles, Mo., assigner to St. Louis Car Company, St. Louis,M0., a ooru poration of Missouri Application June l5, 1936, Serial No.85,265

13 Claims.

This invention relates generally to closurestructures and, moreparticularly, to a certain new and unseful impro-vement inclosure-structures of the sliding door type,

A sliding-door generally has its movement substantially parallel withthe plane of the opening. New, when the door-opening occurs or islocated in a wall of a structure such, for example, as a railway vehicleor car, it is requisite for structural reasons to `oound at least thesides of the opening with jarnbs or other wall re-enforcing members.Further, in modern so-called streamlined trains, it is a matter of vitalimportance that recesses or pockets in the sides of the vehicle beobviated, so as to eliminate undesirable air friction losses when thevehicle is in motion. Consequently all openings should be closed bydoors or other closures which, when closed, reside substantially flushwith the outer face of the vehicle body.

My invention has hence for its chief object the provision oi a door ofsliding type so constructed as, when closed, to snugly fit between thejambs and within the opening in substan- 5 tially 'flushwiseregistration with the wall of the car or other structure and, whenopened, in a combined sliding and swinging operation or movement, toclear the jambs for disposition at a side of the opening in laterallyspaced relation to the jambs and opening.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a door of thetype and for the purpose stated, which may be readily and economicallyconstructed and installed, may with ease and facility be actuated toopen or closed position, and is efficient in theperforrnance of itsintended functions.

And with the above and other objects in View, my invention resides inthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying sheets) Figure l is an inside elevational View of adoorstructure embodying my invention, fragmentary portions of a vehicleor car-body being also shown;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the doorstructure takenapproximately along the line 2 2, Figure l;

Figure 3 is a broken top sectional View taken approximately along theline 3 3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the latchmechanism of the structure drawings (three taken approximately along theline 4 4, Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately along theline :'i 5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental elevational 5 View, partly brokenaway and in section, showing the upper rear trolley hanger and itsassociated door-supporting and shifting mechanism;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail View, partly broken away and in section,of the upper front trolley hanger;

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail view of the lower rear truck and aportion of its door-supporting mechanism; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View of the latch plate andassociated mechanism, taken approximately along the line .i 9, Figure 5.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a o preferred embodiment of my invention, thedoor is shown in connection with a wall structure, which may, as in thepresent instance, comprise the side wall of a so-called streamlinedrailway coach or the like, I designating the coach or 25 car-floor, 2the outer side plate, and 3 the eave construction.

Formed in the side-plate or wall 2, is a conventional access opening 4,the side-margins of which are re-enforced by front and rear verticallamb-posts 5, 6, respectively, extending between the iloor I and theeave 3, the jambs 5, G, being spaced, however, from the respectivemargins of the opening 4 and formed, as 'cest seen in Figure 3, forproviding respective so-called sealing flanges or lips l, 8, for apurpose soon appear-ing.

Disposed rearwardly of the opening 4 and spaced in parallel relationinwardly from the side wall 2, is a vertical door guard plate orpartition 9, which, in conjunction with an also vertical rear end plateI0 connecting the guard 9 at its rear margin with the wall 2, forms aboxlike structure providing a door-receptive pocket or" housing I Iwithin the coach or other enclosure, best also seen in Figure 3.

Extending from the plate I0 longitudinally through the door-pocket liand then projecting in approximate parallelism to, and spaced inwardlyfrom, the plane of the opening li, are registering upper and lowertrolley-supporting and guiding members or rails I2, I3, respectively,which at their front ends are curved outwardly toward, and substantiallyabut, the front jamb 5, as also seen in Figure 3, the upper rail l2 being preferably oi" angle-section, sup-ported at its rear end by the endplate lil and at an intermediate point by a suitable hanger l, and atits front end on the lower iiange oi the eave structure although sucharrangement may, of course, be varied as circumstances require. Thelower rail I3 is preferably of T-section and is attached to thecar-floor i, as best seen in Figure 2.

The closure for the opening 4 comprises a traveling door A ofsubstantially rectangular shape in the present instance and dimensionedto snugly, when in closed position, fit between the jambs 5, 5, with itsouter side marginal faces engaging the respective seal flanges "i, 3.

The door A at its front end is pivotally supported on a rst travelingsupport or swivel trolley B, whose path of movement is deiined by, andwhich is equipped with a roller i5 for engaging, the rail I2. Thetrolley B includes a swivel pin I 5 suitably carrying a, pair of thrustbearings I'I, between which is engaged an ear i3 of a hanger-bracket i9,which latter is attached to and upon the inner face, and adjacent theupper and front margins, of the door A. Preferably, such attachment iseffected by means of eccentric Washers 29, whereby the door A may beaccurately leveled or aligned with the door opening 4, as best seen inFigure 7.

To and upon the inner face, and adjacent the lower and front margins, oithe door A, is attached a guide bracket 2l having a depending lip orshoe 22, which engages the inside face of the lower rail I3. Preferably,the bracket 2i is equipped with a depending vertically revolving roller23, which bears on the outside face of the rail I3, the co-operation ofthey shoe 22 and roller 23 with the rail i3 guiding and defining thepath of movement of the door A at its lower front portion, whilepermitting pivotal movement of the door A, as best seen in Figure 2.

At its rear end, the door A is swingably supported on a second travelingsupport C having a path of movement dened by the rails i2, I3, andcomprising an upper hanger-type trolley 24 equipped with a roller 25,which is engageable with the upper rail I2. The trolley 24 has rigidlyattached thereto a suitably elongated pintle-rod 2S, which, at its lowerend, is, in` turn, rigidly attached to `a truck-type trolley 2'!equipped with a roller 2B engageable with the lower rail I3.

Journaled on the pintle-rod 26, is what may be described as aswing-frame D, which includes a radial arm 29 having its hub equippedVwith suitable anti-friction or ro-ller bearings 39V engaging thepintle-rod 26, and having endwise support on an anti-friction orIball-thrust bear.

ing 3| which engages the truck-trolley 2i, asbest seen in Figure 8.

Extending upwardly from the hub of the arm 29, and forming part of theframe D, is a preferably integrally formed sleeve 32, which rotatablynts about the pintle 25, and .at its upper end, which is suitably spacedfrom the hanger-trolley 24, carries a radially projecting lug 33 havinga bifurcated upturned end disposed in vertical registration with the arm29. Y

Journaled on the upper end of the pintle 26 intermediate the lug 33 andtrolley 24, is another radial arm 34 whose hub is similarly equippedwith roller-bearings 35 and has endwise support on a thrust bearing 36engaging the upper end, that is Vto say, the lug portion 33, of thesleeve 32. As best seen in Figure 6, the arm 34 is engaged with thebifurcated end Aof the lug 33 for not only disposing the arm 34 invertical registration with the arm 29, but also that the arms 29 and 34may swing together or as a unit when the frame D and its sleeve 32 arerotatably actuated on the pintle 26, the sleeve 32 being equipped, at asuitable point intermediate its ends, with a crank-arm 31 for a purposeshortly more fully appearing, and as best seen in Figure 3.

At the free end of each of the respective arms 29, 34, is an elongatedeye 38 having a vertically disposed bore equipped with a pair of radialbearings 39, and in whichis journaled a hingepin G9, which, extendingboth above and below the eye 38, is engaged in a pair of verticallyspaced upper andV lower ears 4I, 4.2, respectively, projecting from adoor-hanger bracket-plate 43, the upper ear 4I resting on a thrustbearing 44, which, in turmengages the upper end of the eye 38 forsup-porting the bracket 43 hingedly on the arm 29, or 34, as the casemay be, and as best seen in Figures 2 and 6.

The brackets 43 on the respective arms 29, 34, are attached, as bysuitable fastening elements 45, to the rear inside marginal face ci thedoor A, whereby, on rotation of the frame D on the pintle C, the rearend of the door A may be swung about the front support B as a pivot to-Ward and from the dened path of movement of the pintle C on the railsI2, I3.

Set into the door A adjacent its front margin, and at a. suitableelevation above the level of the oor I, is a box-frame 46, whichincludes a vertical partition or latch-plate 4'! disposed intermediatelythe thickness of the door A, whereby there is provided in the frame 46 arelatively shallow recess 48 on the inner face, and a relatively deeprecess 49 on the outer face, of the door A, asbest seen in, Figure 4.

Slidably engaging the outer face of the latchplate 41, is a slide plate50 having a pair of horizontally spaced outwardly projecting ears 5I, onwhich is pivotally mounted the respective bifurcated hubs or ends 52 ofa. U-shaped handgrip or handle 53, which normally resides in dependingvertical position snugly within the recess 49. Each hub 52 is providedwith a lug 54 adapted, when the handle 53 is lifted to horizontalposition from the recess 49, to impinge the free upstanding end of aleaf-spring 55 attached to the slide plate 59, the spring 55frictionally bearing also on the suitably rounded end of the hub 52, aswill best be understood from Figure 5.

A tongue 55 projects inwardly from the slideplate 5G and works in aninverted U-shaped slot 5i provided in the latch-plate 4i. Normally, thetongue 55 resides in one leg or the other of the VU-slot 517 and is, bythe side walls of the leg of the slot, held against sidewise movementtherein. On lifting' the handle 53, however, the engagement of the lug54 with the spring 55 enables the raising of the tongue 55 from theparticular leg of the slot 5'! for permitting the traverse of the tongue55 through the bight or horizontal portion. of the slot 51 and into theopposite leg thereof, as best seen in Figure 9.

A seal slide-plate 58 is mounted on the tongue 56 and Slidably engagesthe inside face of the latch-plate 4'! for covering the slot 51 andpreventing infltration of air therethrough.

On the inner free end of the tongue 56 is pivotally mounted a clevis 59having engagement with the forward end of an operator' in the form of arod 69, which, adjacent the clevis 59, carries an inner handle orgrip-bar 6I. The rod 5U extends rearwardly of the car through a supportor guide 62 attached to the door A and at its rear end is pivotallyengaged with the free end of the crank 3l' on the frame D, so thatlongitudinal movement of the rod 6i! will eect rotation of the frame Dand its carried door-supporting arms 29 and 34 for moving the door Atoward and from the path of movement of the pintle C, as has beendescribed, and as best understood from Figure 3.

In use and operation, the door A, when in its closed position, isdisposed between the jambs 5, S, and the forward traveling door-supportB resides at the front end portion of the track-rail I2, which disposesthe front end of the door A abuttingly against the front seal flange 'lof the door opening 4. The latch-tongue t resides in the front leg ofthe slot 5l, the rod 6D being then in forwardly shifted position forrotating the frame D on the pintle C, for, in turn, swinging the arms29, 3d, outwardly, thereby shifting the rear end of the door A alsooutwardly and away from the track-rails I2, I3, which disposes the rearend of the door A likewise abuttingly against the rear seal flange 8 ofthe opening 4.

A person desiring to open the door A, if on theinside, grasps the handle6l, and, if on the outside, grasps and lifts the handle 53, and ineither case raises the tongue 56 out of the front leg of the slot 51 andmoves it rearwardly into the rear leg of the slot 5l, thereby shiftingthe rod 6B rearwardly on, and relatively to, the door A.

Such movement of the rod 6B rotates the frame D on the pintle C andswings the arms 29, 34, inwardly, thus also swinging the rear end of thedoor A inwardly toward the rails l2, i3, and about the support B as apivot, until the rear end of the door A clears the rear jamb 6 of theopening ll.

The rear end of the door A having been thus shifted into laterallyspaced relation with the opening d, and the tongue 55 now residing inthe rear leg of the slot 5l, it is a simple matter to push on the handle53, or 6I, as the case may be, for moving the door A and support Crearwardly along the defined path thereof until the door A resides inthe door-pocket il, and as the front support or trolley B rides on therail l2, the front end of the door A is likewise shifted inwardly fromthe opening 4 to clear the jamb 6, the final open position of the door Ain the pocket l l being indicated by the dash lines of Figure 3.

The reverse procedure is followed for closing the door A. 'Ihe tongue 56is allowed to remain in the rear leg of the slot 5l until the door A isbrought into registration with and is opposite the opening d with therear end of the door A in laterally spaced relation with the opening il,although, byreason of the curvature of the rails I2, i3, the front endof the door A is in more or less front abutting relation with the frontjamb 5. The tongue 5.6 is then shifted into the front leg of the slot5l, which actuates the frame D for moving the now registereddoor Alaterally into the opening 4 between the jam'os 5, 6, and restores thedoor A to its closed and sealed position, as hereinbefore described.

The door-structure is facile in operation and manipulation, efficientlymeets the sliding door requirements of streamlined modern railway carconstruction, and fulfills in every respect the objects stated, it beingnoted that the door A is preferably centrally of such thickness, sothat, when in closed position, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, itsouter face intermediate the lambs 5,

6, is substantially flush with the plane of the outer face of the car orvehicle side wall.

It will be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of thedoor structure may be made and substituted for those herein shown anddescribed without departing from the nature and principle of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is,-

l. In a sliding door structure, in combination, first and secondsupports movable in spaced relation in a defined path, a door pivotedadjacent a margin on the first support, and means including membershaving pivoted connection with both the door at its opposite margin andthe second support and being swingable in a horizontal plane forswingable actuation of the door relatively to the first support forproducing bodily transverse movement of the door.

2. In a sliding door structure, in combination, first and secondsupports movable in spaced relation in a defined path, a door pivotedadjacent a margin on the rst support, means swingable in a horizontalplane on the second support for supporting the door at its oppositemargin for swingable movement relatively to the first support, and meanson the door co-operable with the second support for disposing the doorin selectively swung position for producing bodily transverse movementof the door.

3. In a sliding door structure, a support movable in a defined path, apintle on the support at right angles to the plane of the defined path,a frame swingable on the pintle in a plane parallel to the plane of thedefined path, a door carried by said frame for bodily shiftable movementof the door toward and from the defined path responsive to swingableactuation of the frame on the pintle, an operator shiftable on the doorfor actuation of the frame.

4. In a sliding door structure, a support movable in a defined path, apintle on the support at right angles to the plane of the defined path,a frame swingable on the pintle in a plane parallel to the plane of thedefined path, a door carried by said frame for bodily shiftable movementof the door toward and from the defined path responsive to swingableactuation of the frame on the pintle, an operator shiftable on the doorfor actuation of the frame, said door having a U- shaped slot, a memberselectively engageable with the respective legs of the slot for latohingthe operator in shifted position, and handle means co-operable with saidmember for both moving the door and the support in its defined path whensaid member is in a particular leg of the slot and for shifting saidmember from one leg to the other of the slot for actuation of theoperator.

5. In a sliding-door structure, in combination, a trackway includingvertically spaced upper and lower members, a support including avertically disposed pintle having traveling engagement with thetrack-members, arms having pivoted connection with the pintleintermediate the trackmembers for swingable movement in a horizontalplane, and a door carried by the arms for movement both edgewise in thepath defined by the trackway and marginally arcwise relatively to thetrackway and the support.

6. In a sliding-door structure, in combination, a trackway includingvertically spaced upper and lower members, a support including avertically disposed pintle having traveling engagement with thetrack-members for swingable movement in a horizontal plane, a door, andmeans for suspending the door for movement both edgewise in the pathdefined by the trackway and marginally arcwise relatively to thetrackway and support, said means including a frame sleeved on thepintle, a rst arm on the frame having engagement with the door, a secondarm having engagement with the door and pivoted connection with thepintle,

Iand a 'bracket on the frame having engagement with the second arm.

'7. 1n a sliding-door structure, in combination, a trackway includingvertically spaced upper and lower members, a support including avertically disposed pintle having traveling engagement with thetrack-members, arms having pivoted connection with the pintleintermediate the trackmembers for swingable movement in a horizontalplane, a door, means including a frame having engagement with the doorand pivoted connection with the pintle intermediate the track-membersfor supporting the door for movement edgewise in the path dened by thetrackway, and an actuator for pivotally actuating the frame formarginally arcwise swinging the door relatively to the trackway andsupport.

8. A sliding-door structure comprising, in combination, a trackwaycomprising upper-and lower members, a support having travelingengagement at its respective ends with both of said trackmembers, adoor, means including a frame mounted pivotally on the support andconnected with a side margin of the door intermediate the track-membersfor edgewise movement of the door with the support in said path, and anactuator shiftable on the door for pivotal actuation cf the frame forshifting the door marginally arcwise relatively to said path andsupport.

9. A sliding-door structure comprising, in combination, a trackwaycomprising upper and lower members, a support having travelingengagement at its respective ends with both of said track-members, adoor, means including a frame mounted pivotally on the support andconnected with a side margin of the door intermediate the track-membersfor edgewise movement of the door with the support in said path, anactuator shiftable on the door for pivotal actuation of the frame forshifting the door marginally arcwise relatively to said path andsupport, and means for latching said support in shifted position.

l0. In combination with a structure having a door opening, upper andlower registering tracks, vertically aligned upper and lower fronttrackengaging members, a door pivotally mounted at one end between saidmembers for revolvable movement about a vertical axis, a support-membermounted at its respective ends upon, and extending vertically between,the upper and lower tracks for traveling movement longitudinallytherealong, radial bracket means pivotally mounted for horizontallyswingable movement at one extremity upon and extending outwardly fromthe support-member, said bracket means being also pivotally attached atthe other extremity to an adjacent margin of the door, and actuatormeans for rotating the bracket means about the support-member forswinging said door transversely away from the door opening.

11. In combination, a structure having a door opening, upper and lowerregistering tracks, vertically aligned upper and lower fronttrack-engaging members, a door pivotally mounted at one margin betweensaid members for revolvable movement about a vertical axis, a supportmember mounted at its respective ends upon, and extending verticallybetween, the upper and lower tracks for traveling movementlongitudinally therealong, radial bracket means. pivotally mounted forhorizontally swingable movement at one extremity upon and. extendingoutwardly from the support member, said bracket means being pivotallyattached at t eirother extremity to the opposite margin of the door, andactuator means for rotating the bracket means about the support-memberfor swinging said door transversely away from the door opening, saidactuator means including a longitudinally shiftable bar mounted on thedoor.

12.111 combination, an enclosure having an opening in a wall thereof, adoor adapted to lit within the opening, means for supporting the doorfor transverse shifting movement toward and away from the opening, andmeans for bodily moving the door into and out of closure-engagement withthe door opening while maintaining the door substantially parallel tothe plane of the opening.

13. In combination with an enclosure having an openingin the wallthereof, jambs at opposite margins of said opening, each jamb having asealing-ange approximately in the plane of the outer face of said wall,a door for fitting said opening, supporting means for shifting the doorin a defined path within the enclosure for registering the door inlaterally spaced relation to said opening, said means'being adapted topermit bodily shifting movement cf the door when the latter is inregistry with the opening, and means on said supporting means for movingthe registered door transversely into marginal engagement with theflanges while maintaining the door constantly parallel to the plane ofthe opening. ROBERT F. LOI-IRMAN.

